Unchosen Champion

The golf course had gone through some changes since the previous time Coop had visited. The fairways were only a little thick, probably displaying even less growth than would have been expected in the pre-mana times, but the grasses that made up the rough were completely out of control. They had grown so tall, they struggled to bear their own weight, leaning their tips out across the sky, above the fairway, more akin to stalks of bamboo than blades of grass. Both edges formed half-tunnels with verdant roofs that didn’t quite reach the middle. The Primal Trackers lounged in the darkened borders or roamed across the open middle, still as densely populated as they had been the first time.

Coop wasn’t physically fighting, but it was struggling with an internal battle. He was trying every mindfulness technique he had ever been made aware of, whether it was focusing on his breathing or stretching. The entire time he had his status open, but he never saw his bonuses fluctuate. He did manage to relieve some of his stress and anxieties. The pressures that slowly built in the back of his mind without him even realizing it were eased as he relaxed in the lush grassy environment as it was being cleared by Charlie’s miniature tornadoes.

The girls worked out their specific tactics and expanded their pulls until they were comfortable moving deeper into the golf course. They carefully made progress, sticking to the early holes while refining their preferences. It turned out to be a good exercise as it really did distract Charlie.

Camila and Charlie made an incredible pair. They were so coordinated, Coop thought they could challenge the apparent telepathic connection he had with his phantasms. Most of the credit needed to go to Camila, who was a natural at anticipating the Aeromancer’s actions and liberally applying her enhanced speediness to be in the right places at the right times. Of course, Charlie providing consistency is what established the groundwork for the Interceptor to work with.

“How do you stay so calm all the time?” Charlie eventually asked Coop as they moved to the next tee boxes, pushing further into increased monster densities as the girls' comfort levels rose.

Coop thought it was a surprising question, considering how he was constantly fighting his nerves, feeling anxieties, agitation, or restlessness, and otherwise struggling with confronting difficult choices. “I’m stressed all the time.” He admitted.

“Really? I thought I had you figured out by now. Aren’t you happy most of the time these days?” Charlie wondered. “You always seem satisfied when you’re around the fort, especially compared to before.”

Coop shrugged. “I am, but remember when you first moved into Ghost Reef?” Charlie nodded as she glanced over at him. “I still feel the same way, that a bunch of different factors came together to give us an opportunity to progress. The shard being on an isolated island with a defensive fort and so many monster variants all combined to give us advantages that we should leverage to help others. Ever since this whole assimilation started I’ve been slowly taking on more responsibilities. Most of the time, I don’t even want them, but I’ll keep doing my best to make at least some positive contributions. That way when people need it, we can help.”

“But how do you know if you’re doing that, making positive contributions?” Charlie questioned, obviously feeling doubt about her own actions and role in defeating the Endless Empire’s Chosen.

“We can only do our best and trust the people around us.” Coop put his hand on her shoulder and she looked back up at him. “If we hadn’t settled things between the Empire, the result would have only been worse in the long run. What you did was to help me, so if there was a mistake, it’s my fault. I’ll try to make up for it in the future.” Charlie just gave him a half-hearted smile.

“But also, if we’re ever considered heroes I get all the credit.” Coop declared. “It’s only fair.” When she smirked at his proposition, he feigned offense. “Hey, at least I’m shouldering the burdens too, I definitely could have shoved those off onto someone else.”

While the girls got on with the next monster pull, Coop stood on the side, like he was their caddy. After a night of experimentation, he put aside Mindbending and summoned a phantasm. When the ghost appeared, the quantity of mists was abnormally high. Usually, they burst out of mists that barely engulfed their bodies and immediately dissipated, but this time, the mists lingered on the ground, spilling out like dry ice had been released by popping an oversized water balloon.